Monday, January 8, 2018

Medical mall clinics reopen tomorrow.

UMMC issued the following statement. 


Most University of Mississippi Medical Center clinics at the Jackson Medical Mall, relocated last week due to the city’s water pressure problems, will begin reopening on Tuesday.
 

Patient care ranging from pain management to kidney dialysis to chemotherapy and radiation was moved from the Medical Mall off Woodrow Wilson Avenue beginning Jan. 4 after dozens of city-maintained water pipes burst, causing low pressure that prevented toilets from flushing and rendered inoperable the Medical Mall’s heating pumps. A number of treatment procedures, including dialysis and chemotherapy infusion, depend on a constant, clean water supply.
Hundreds of Medical Mall patients were seen through Monday on the main campus, at UMMC’s University Physicians Belhaven location, and at a number of UMMC clinics spread throughout the metro.
Rising pressure that adequately revived the Medical Mall’s boilers and restored water service on Monday means UMMC’s clinics can slowly reopen, said Dr. Jonathan Wilson, chief administrative officer. Patients will be notified where to go for their appointments as necessary.
UMMC’s main campus has its own water wells and tower and isn’t affected by the city’s water challenges. Other UMMC facilities in Jackson, such as clinic space at Select Specialty off Ridgewood Road, the Medical Tower on Woodrow Wilson, Lakeland Medical Building on Lakeland Drive, and gastroenterology services in the UP Belhaven building on North State Street, had enough heat, water pressure and available toilets to remain open.
“Everybody from the providers and clinic staff to schedulers and facilities to the unit leaders and administrators are showing great teamwork,” Wilson said. “We’re putting our patients’ needs first to continue life-sustaining treatments and operations, even under extreme conditions.”
Many employees, not just at the Medical Mall but campus wide, have worked extended hours to ensure all patients get the services they need. “They are doing an awesome job,” Wilson said. He and a team of administrators and department managers toiled around the clock to find temporary room for relocated clinical services.
Those affected included dozens of Medical Mall outpatients whose weekly dialysis treatments were moved to the Adult Hospital’s Artificial Kidney Unit – expanded on Friday to grow from a 15-patient capacity to 38 as of Saturday.
Alice Luckett, UMMC clinical director of dialysis, sold her tickets to last weekend’s New Orleans Saints playoff game so that she could spend Saturday and Sunday taking care of the influx of patients.
“I guess I was the interior decorator,” Luckett joked Friday as UMMC Physical Facilities converted available space in the unit to six additional dialysis stations. Up to three patients instead of the usual one got their treatments in each permanent dialysis station, and a dozen or more waited their turn, but no one was complaining.
 “There was no other option for these patients. No one else can accommodate this number,” said Ryan McMillan, director of adult nursing services. “We’ve gone to a 24-hour operation.”
The same creativity by necessity ruled the day across campus. At the radiation oncology department on the basement level of the main campus, staff Monday prepared to see 55 to 65 patients – 30 of them diverted from the Medical Mall. “We usually split that number in half between the two locations, but all of them are here today,” said Dr. Vijay Vijayakumar, professor and chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology.
About 20 radiation oncology employees temporarily relocated to the main campus. The service on campus usually operates from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; on Monday, it was 6:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., or until every patient is seen.
“We’re very fortunate to have top-notch providers and employees that are flexible and willing to work in non-traditional areas for extra late hours,” Wilson said.
Those moved include Brookhaven resident Billy Jinks, who Monday received his 37th radiation treatment for prostate cancer. “It wasn’t a problem,” Jinks said of switching locations. “As long as we get the treatment, everything’s fine.”
Among other clinics – and employees – temporarily moved, and patients notified:
The Cancer Institute’s infusion and chemotherapy services moved to the short-stay procedure area in the Adult Hospital. The Cancer Institute’s clinics also shared space at UP Belhaven.
Adolescent medicine, general pediatrics, and complex pediatric services have been shuffled between campus and the Children’s of Mississippi north Jackson clinic.
Psychiatry, pain management and hematology services moved to the Pavilion.
High-risk OB-GYN patients were being seen at the Wiser Hospital for Women and Infants.
Also, a portion of Division of Information Services staff set up quarters in the Student Union conference room.
Even the new School of Medicine education building is in the mix. An area designed to teach medical students with simulated patients was evaluated as a site for a temporary clinic space, if the need arises.
UMMC last week delivered bottled water to Medical Mall employees and patients and brought a water tanker to the Mall parking lot to help ease the crisis. Patients and employees were still left shivering, a key factor in the decision to move or reschedule most services.
The only use of the city’s water system on the main campus is for fire suppression. “The biggest risk is that if we lose pressure on campus, fire hydrants would be dry,” Wilson said. “We’ve coordinated a plan with Jackson, Madison, Flowood, Pearl and Clinton to shuttle in fire trucks and tankers of water and help us with firefighting and support.”
She had to drive an extra six or seven minutes to the main campus for thrice-weekly dialysis treatment, but Demetra Hamblin of Jackson was grateful for the care. “I got a call to tell me to come to the hospital instead today,” she said Friday.
High blood pressure has left her left kidney struggling to function. Usually, she watches television or naps during treatment at the Medical Mall, but even in the midst of much more noise and beeps than she’s used to, Hamblin cat-napped.
The close quarters weren’t all bad. “Today, I met him and we talked,” Hamblin said of a gentleman just a few feet from her chair. “I got a new friend today.”

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This is definitely a Beaver production.


Note: Security provided by INS.

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Note: Security provided by INS
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